Friday, April 08, 2005

Two tidbits from CrimProf Blog

From the DPIC: "According to a new report issued by Amnesty International, the United States is among four countries that carried out the vast majority of the 3,797 executions around the world in 2004. Amnesty's report states that the nations carrying out the most executioners last year were China (3,400), Iran (159), Vietnam (64), United States (59), Saudi Arabia (33), Pakistan (15), Kuwait (9), Bangladesh (7), Egypt (6), Singapore (6), and Yemen (6). The report notes that the increase in executions in China is partly due to a new way of estimating such executions since the government does not publicly release this data. The use of the death penalty declined in the U.S. in 2004 compared to 2003." To obtain the report, click here. [Mark Godsey]

I like how the headline of the Amnesty Int'l report says "the United States is among four countries that carried out the vast majority of the 3,797 executions around the world in 2004" when we were responsible for exactly .01% of them.

I also find it misleading to give data for Islamofascist countries like Iran because most of the countries don't execute their criminals with due process, they murder innocent people who have no due process. For the U.S. it tooks years of hard work to kill the 59 criminals that we did. I would love to see a report of how long it takes on average to get someone executed in the U.S. compared to other countries. I'd be willing to bet we take waaay longer than other countries.

A defendant was charged with felony murder after his accomplice in a burglary was killed by a victim fleeing in a car. [Jack Chin]

And if you click on that link, you get this explanation:

A West Palm Beach man was arrested on burglary and second-degree murder charges on Wednesday, more than two months after his alleged accomplice was run over and killed by the victim along Interstate 95.Christopher Dean, 25, drove the getaway car during the Jan. 12th break-in, allegedly committed with Eric Flint,officials said.

Dean was trying to pick up Flint when Gregory Marlow, driving a Chevy Suburban, hit and killed Flint, officials said. Dean is being held responsible for Flint's death.

You have to admit, that's a creative reading of the law. I wonder if it will stick...

3 Comments:

The "Felony-Murder Rule" basically states that if ANYONE dies during the commission of a felony (which includes non-violent felonies like burglary, GTA, etc.) ALL co-conspirators in the felony are on the hook for murder two. No lie. Learned that my first year of law school. Amazing, eh?